Nagasaki marks atomic bombing anniversary

Japan's Nagasaki has marked the 72nd anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing.

At the ceremony, the mayor of the city called for sticking to pacifist Constitution and reconsidering the policy of relying on the U.S. nuclear umbrella.

The ceremony was held at the Peace Memorial Park on Wednesday.

Mayor of Nagasaki Tomihisa Taue criticized the central government for not joining negotiations for the Nuclear Prohibition Treaty. He said it was "incomprehensible" to people living in the cities that have suffered atomic bombings.

Taue's remarks came at a time when Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party have been eyeing making Japan's first-ever postwar amendment to the pacifist charter.

Abe delivered a speech at the ceremony, in which he still made no mention of the historical background for the atomic bombings or Japan's aggressive war against its neighbors.

While Abe was speaking, shouts of protests burst out from around the park, demanding the prime minister to step down.

SOUNDBITE (JAPANESE): KATO, Protester

"Japan actually initiated the war. In order to prevent recurrence of such war tragedies, people should learn from the history like why Japan launched the war and what aggressions Japan had made and pass on the truth to the future generations."